1977 NCAA Championship Game

Marquette vs. North Carolina

The 1977 NCAA Championship was Al McGuire's last chance to put it all together. There was no question that McGuire was a winner; he had won 20 or more games over the previous 11 seasons at Marquette. But this game against coaching legend Dean Smith and his Tar Heels would be the final test. Marquette sent their coach to a fitting retirement beating North Carolina 67-59 to win the national championship. With Marquette orchestrating the offense and dictating tempo, the Warriors took a 39-27 halftime lead. Carolina made its run at the start of the second half, tying for the first time in the half at 41-41 on forward Walter Davis' 14-foot jump shot. After North Carolina took the lead for a brief moment, Marquette went to a delay offense and nailed their last 12 free throw attempts to put the game out of reach.